The quality of the educational environment in a medical college in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to examine the quality of the educational environment in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and to compare between male and female students using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). METHODS: We utilized a cross-sectional survey design. Participants were 221 medical students (96 males and 125 females) from all classes (1st to 6th year). Each participant responded to a translated version of the DREEM questionnaire that measures five domains: students' perception of learning (SPL), students' perception of teachers (SPT), students' academic self-perception (SASP), students' perception of atmosphere (SPA), and students' social self-perception (SSSP). Numerical differences between male and female students were analyzed using the Student's t-test. RESULTS: The global average score of female students was significantly higher (105.0±22.9, 53% of maximum score) than male students (98.3±24.3, 49% of maximum score; t((219))= -2.119, p= 0.035). The major gender difference was found in the SPT domain, with a higher score in the females (60%) compared to the male (50%) cohort (t ((219))= -5.519, p = 0.000). Differences in the other domains were statistically insignificant. Out of the 50 DREEM items, the items that need attention were 32 and 23 on the male and the female sides respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The perception of the educational environment by the female students is significantly better than male students. The study provides valuable information about many educational problems that need attention. DREEM-based surveys are highly recommended for periodic monitoring of the educational environment.